Electric shaver having an electric field for retaining hair dust in the cutting head



Jan. 14, 1969 0. K. ANNA ELECTRIC SHAVER HAVING AN ELECTRIC FIELD FORRETAINING HAIR DUST IN THE CUTTING HEAD Filed OOE. 51, 1966@MIJIHIHHHHHIIHII Fig. 2

Inventor 0770 K. A/V/VA (ATTORNEY United States Patent B 84,367 US. C].30-41 Int. Cl. B2612 19/38; B261) 19/02; A471 13/40 Claim ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An electric shaver having a wool wick attached to itsmoving cutting blade. In one section of the stroke of the blade, thewick lies in contact with a plastic, While in another section, ametallic part is contacted. Metallic part and plastic being physicallyand electrically separated, an electric field arises between the two andcut whiskers fly to the negatively charged plastic.

This invention relates to a motor-driven dry shaving device such as anelectric shaver.

In summary, the device of this invention is an electric shaver With anelectric field system for retaining hair dust in the cutting headcomprising a cutting head and a cutting blade element positionedtherein, first pole means and second pole means spaced therefrom in thecutting head, and a sliding charge transport means positioned forsequential contact with the first and second pole means for effectingcharge transfer therebetween and to thereby produce a charge separationbetween the first and second pole means.

Motor-driven dry shaving devices having a plate or film of insulatingmaterial, for example a synthetic plastic, in the cutting head have beendisclosed. The plate or film is charged electrostatically by mechanicalor electrical means outside of the cutting head, and the hair dustproduced during shaving is collected and retained thereby.

However, the electrical field produced between the plate as one pole anda metallic part of the shearing head as the opposite pole rapidlyweakens due to the unavoida ble loss in electric charge and because thefield is only periodically. Thus, retention of the hair dust isincomplete.

It is the object of this invention to eliminate the deficiencies of thepreviously known devices and is characterized by a movable slidingelement successively contacting the plate or film as one pole and thecutting head as the other pole, which sliding element effects atransport of charges and thus a separation of charges between bothpoles.

By means of the device of this invention, it is possible to continuouslysupplement and strengthen the electrical field effecting theaccumulation of the hair dust on one of the two poles during theoperation of the shaver, thus avoiding the above-noted deficiencies ofpreviously known devices.

The place on which the hair dust is to accumulate depends upon theselection of the material of the poles and the brush provided for thecollection of hair dust, by means of which the polarities of the chargesare determined. According to one advantageous embodiment of theinvention, the sliding element is a wool brush mounted on the cuttingblade element of the cutting head, while one pole is made of insulatingmaterial and the opposite pole is formed by metallic portions of theshearing head. In order to concentrate the charge on the pole ofinsulating material, the pole can be partially metallized, that is,coated with a thin film of metal as by vapor deposition ice and thelike. Suitably, the collecting pole is constructed as a plate which isremovable from the shearing head in order to facilitate the discardingof hair dust. Particularly with dry shaving devices having a rotatingdrive, it is advantageous to arrange the sliding element and the polesas in an electrostatic generator.

In the drawings, two embodiments of the invention are illustrated,wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a partial section of a front view of a dry shavingapparatus having a reciprocating blade block according to thisinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a partial section of a dry shaving apparatus with rotaryblades, according to this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 taken along thesection line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, a metallic cutting head frame 4 is attached ontothe housing 7 of the dry shaver, this housing being of synthetic plasticmaterial. The cutting head frame carries a screen foil or perforatedplate 8 as the external stationary cutting part. The movable cuttercomponent of the cutting head is formed by a frame 3 with several blades6 attached thereto; this part is driven in a reciprocating movement bythe rocking lever 9 of an oscillating-armature motor, the latter notbeing shown in detail.

A plate of insulating material, designated by 2, is provided on the partof the housing 7 in the proximity of the cutting head, and on one end ofthe blade block 3, 6, a brush 1 of Wool is attached. During thereciprocal motion of the blade block, the brush 1 slides along the plate2, leaves the plate shortly before reaching the right terminal positionillustrated in FIG. 1, and contacts the inner side of the metalliccutting head frame 4. By the motion of the brush, the previouslyelectrically neutral plate 2 is negatively charged; the brush, so tospeak, removes therefrom the positive charges and transfers them to thecutting head frame 4 as the ground pole. By this charge separation, anelectrical field is produced between both parts which is continuouslycomplemented and amplified during the operation of the shaver. The hairdust collects on the negatively charged plate 2 and can be removed fromthe cutting head after the shaving procedure is done. For reasons ofsafety, the frame 4 and the blade block 3, 6 can be provided with acover of insulating material 5.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a circular plate 2 insulatingmaterial with a recess Z'rz provided therein. At the outer edge of therotating blades 3', a brush 1' is mounted, being positioned tofrictionally contact the plate 2' during the rotating motion of theblades. As soon as the brush sweeps over the recess 2'a, it contacts alug or contact surface 4'a of the metallic cutting head frame 4'.Thereby in a similar manner as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, a chargeseparation between the two poles 2 and 4', and thus an electrical field,is produced effecting the collection of the hair dust on the plate 2'.In both embodiments, the plate can be partially metallized in order toattain a charge concentration, and it can be additionally provided withan adhesive layer. Also, this plate can be mounted in the cutting headso that it can be detached therefrom in order to facilitate removal ofthe plate for discarding the hair dust.

The materials for the brush and the parts of the cutting head serving aspoles can be selected appropriately depending upon at which location thehair dust is to accumulate.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention ashereinabove set forth can be made without departing from the essence andscope thereof, and only such limitations should be applied as areindicated in the claim.

I claim:

1. An electric shaver with an electric field system for retaining hairdust in the cutting head comprising: a housing, a head frame, a cuttinghead and movable cutting blade element positioned on the housing Withinthe head frame, first insulating plastic pole means secured on thehousing adjacent to the movable cutting blade, and second metallic polemeans formed by the head frame spaced therefrom in the cutting head, anda sliding charge transport means attached to the cutting blade elementfor sequential contact With the first and second pole means forefiecting charge transfer therebetween and to thereby produce a chargeseparation between the first and second pole means, whereby the hairdust is retained by said electric field.

10 MYRON C.

References Cited UNITED KRUSE,

STATES PATENTS Weiss et al 151.5 Glaser et a1 151.5 X Bermingham 3043.92Remer 151.5 Tice 3041.6 X

Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

